“Ch. 4 Key Terms.”

Question 1

ecosystem

Answer 1

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 2

biotic factors

Answer 2

This includes both animals that consume other organisms within their ecosystem, and the organism that is being consumed.

Question 3

abiotic factors

Answer 3

non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

Question 4

organism

Answer 4

a living thing anything that can carry out life process idepindently

Question 5

species

Answer 5

a group of organisms that are closely related or can make fertility

Question 6

populations

Answer 6

a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area or country.

Question 7

community

Answer 7

a group of living things that live in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Question 8

habitat

Answer 8

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Question 9

natural selection

Answer 9

the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Question 10

evolution

Answer 10

the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

Question 11

adaptation

Answer 11

a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.

Question 12

artificial selection

Answer 12

breeding of organisms to produce domesticated animals with more desirable traits

Question 13

resistance

Answer 13

he ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely.

Question 14

archaea

Answer 14

type of bacteria

Question 15

bacteria

Answer 15

a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.

Question 16

fungus

Answer 16

any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.

Question 17

protist

Answer 17

an orginism that belongs to the kingdom protista

Question 18

gymnosperm

Answer 18

a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.

Question 19

angiosperm

Answer 19

a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.

Question 20

invertebrates

Answer 20

an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc. The invertebrates constitute an artificial division of the animal kingdom,

Question 21

vertebrates

Answer 21

an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.